


Facing The Future

by Elayna



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Don't copy to another site, First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Post-Canon Fix-It, first time writing this pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:22:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22326286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elayna/pseuds/Elayna
Summary: Armitage Hux couldn't have become a general without being intelligent and a planner, but he didn't expect his most underdeveloped plan to turn out quite so well.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo
Comments: 7
Kudos: 48





	Facing The Future

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wyomingnot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyomingnot/gifts).



> I didn't expect to be writing this pairing. I haven't read it and I don't know the fannish tropes might have developed around it. And probably several other people are writing this fic, which seems like a pretty obvious fix-it. But yet, the idea is in my head and won't let go, so I'm going to join the crowd because this pairing deserves better than the movie gave it. To Wyomingnot, who watched a movie so she could read my fic. Hugs to Seaward for the support and betaing.

Pryde killed him, Armitage reflected hazily, drifting in the vat of bacta. Pryde had seen through his pathetic ruse and killed him. Thankfully, his own pride hadn't made him overconfident. The Supreme Leader was obsessed and erratic, and Armitage couldn't predict how the other generals might react to his mercurial whims, but he feared that events could spiral out of anyone's control. He had taken precautions and they had paid off. Armitage was grateful for his own plans, for being alive. 

He stroked his chest, the skin smooth and flawless. The Gruponi body armor had worked perfectly, diffusing the worst of the blast, wounding him severely enough to give the impression of death. His droid had done the rest, collecting his unconscious body from the cleaner droid and secreting him away to his hideout. 

Armitage loved droids. They followed their programming. They obeyed without deviation, just as the galaxy would have, if the First Order had succeeded. Damn Kylo Ren for killing Snoke and taking control. 

Pryde should have gone for a headshot, the lightweight body armor under his clothes wouldn't have protected him, but he'd deal with Pryde later, after he'd fully recovered. Revenge would be sweet. 

When he'd become a spy, he hadn't intended to risk his neck to save any rebels, but he'd recognized the walking carpet and the other two fools. The Rebellion was in a sorry state, and the loss of those three might have led to its demise. Armitage still wanted that opposition to be a thorn in Kylo's side. 

MLA-429 appeared at the side of the tank, waiting patiently for Armitage to notice her, her gold body with its red highlights. Milla placed a movable set of stairs by the tank. The treatment must be done. 

He nodded his awareness. He was healed and fully conscious. She removed the top of the tank, reaching in to help him detach from the breathing apparatus. Her strong gold arms helped him out of the tank and down the steps. In a proper medical facility, the bacta would have drained, but Armitage had cut some corners in setting up his preparations for any emergency. 

He was wet and naked, dripping bacta, but he was alive. "Report," he ordered crisply, standing military straight despite his lack of a uniform or any clothes at all. 

"My Lord Hux, we were able to remove your body from the command ship before its destruction. We placed you in medical stasis until we could get you here and treat you with bacta. You are now healed from the blaster wound. Your body is functioning at 100%."

"The destruction of the command ship?" Armitage staggered a little, sitting abruptly on the step ladder. "How did it get destroyed?"

"The Rebellion destroyed the entire Sith Fleet, my Lord Hux. The Final Order is gone."

Milla's words were spoken in a calm, almost pleasant voice. She knew that her Master's profession as a general was gone, but it didn't matter to her. Her programming was to take care of his needs and protect him if he was attacked, and she had carried out her instructions excellently. 

"The Supreme Leader? Emperor Palpatine?"

"The Rebellion have announced their deaths, as well as that of General Leia Organa Solo. The Rebellion is now led by Generals Finn and Poe Dameron, who have announced that they will be contacting all world governments to establish a new federation."

Gone, all gone. The First Order, the Final Order, the Supreme Leader whom Armitage had feared and hated. His entire life and reason for existing. All the plans he'd made, all the possibilities he'd tried to anticipate had vanished while he drifted in bacta. "I shall want a full report, everything that happened."

"I have downloaded all the holovids that the Rebellion sent out. They are waiting for you. Do you wish to wash and dress?"

"Yes." Bacta was literally a lifesaver, but it left him feeling like he'd been covered in mucus. Armitage took his time, washing thoroughly, shaving the stubble on his chin. Milla had laid out clothes on the bed, tight black leggings and a garish red shirt which would clash badly with his hair. Sighing, he rifled through the clothes left by the pirates, but found nothing better. He took time to look at himself in the mirror, finding it odd to see himself in anything other than stark black. His bare feet looked too naked, but he hadn't felt like struggling into the pirates' thigh-high boots. His hair was wavy, the bacta treatment seeming to have given it more body. There didn't seem any reason to suppress it, as he normally would. Milla didn't care if he looked polished and precise. 

She was waiting for him when he emerged from the bedroom, standing motionless in the room that was no doubt intended as his main living area. A small table and four chairs were on one side, with a plush couch and chair on the other, next to a screen for holovids. Gaudy statuary was scattered around the room and the most appalling holoart decorated the walls. The pirates' taste was inexecrable. If he ended up staying here, redecorating would be necessary. "You have done well," he said, even though she was a droid and didn't care. He was alive and found himself having an unusual desire to express his gratitude. 

This hideout was in a remote region of space, on a lightly populated planet, but the spaceport was only a few hours away by speeder. When the First Order had eliminated the pirate infestation, Armitage had taken advantage of his authority to rewrite the report to claim that the entire hideout had been destroyed. After that, it was a simple matter to have the pirates' droids reprogrammed to follow his commands. 

"Thank you, my Lord Hux. I also took the liberty of retrieving your long-term project."

"You did what?" he asked, surprise overriding his anger at her deviation from programming. 

"I understand that the political situation has significantly changed, my Lord. The next stage of aging was scheduled to occur in two days. I had thought you might wish to revise your plans. Or at least have a chance to reflect before irrevocable steps were taken."

Armitage stared at the droid. "Droids do not take independent action." 

"My former master was often gone for weeks at a time. I was given additional programming to take independent action to protect my master's interests if it seemed necessary." 

Interesting. The slicer who had done the reprogramming had not mentioned that fact to Armitage. Of course, Armitage also hadn't mentioned that the slicer would still be executed as scheduled, so perhaps a lack of full honesty wasn't too shocking. 

"For now, I will be here. You will only take actions that I order." 

"Yes, my Lord Hux," the droid said, apparently unperturbed. "I brought you tea, but you did not order it. Do you wish me to take it away?"

"No, I'll drink it." If Armitage didn't know better, he'd almost think Milla was being petty. Additional reprogramming might be needed sooner rather than later. 

"Do you also wish nutrients now?" 

"Not yet," Armitage said. The bacta had kept his body nourished while he was healing. "I wish to view the holovids first. You may leave."

"Yes, my Lord Hux." She departed, and Armitage poured himself a cup of tea from the pot, sitting down to watch the Rebellion's propaganda. The devastation was shocking, ship after ship of the Sith fleet crashing on Exogul or simply exploding from the Rebellion's targeted attacks. The announcements from the Generals Finn and Poe, celebrating their successes and what they viewed as the liberation of the galaxy made Armitage grit his teeth with anger. 

Armitage curled his hands around his cup, staring at the blank screen, trying to figure out what he was going to do now. He'd survived, but for what? He'd not only taken over the pirates' hideout and their resources, including the armor that had saved his life, but also squirreled away currencies from different worlds. He could live comfortably for the rest of his life. But he'd believed in the First Order, that they would bring peace and order to the galaxy. In the long term, all people would live better lives, even if many had to be initially sacrificed to enforce control. But now—what? What did he do with the rest of his life? 

The sole saving grace of this situation was that the rebels would believe him dead like the rest of his shipmates. No one would be looking for him. No one would care about him or mourn him. 

"My Lord Hux?" The voice spoke hesitantly but Armitage tensed. He knew that voice, even if the tone was oddly soft.

He twisted in his chair. Kylo Ren stood in his doorway, holding a tray of food. No, not Kylo Ren. The Supreme Leader was dead. "Ben."

"May I?" Ben gestured toward the table with the tray.

Armitage nodded. "Yes."

Unlike his own ridiculous pirate clothes, Ben was dressed in plain soft shirt and trousers, both blue, though the trousers were a darker shade. One of the pirates had less extravagant tastes, or the clothes had come from the cloners. 

As Ben set the tray down, Armitage inclined his head at the seat next to him. "Stay. Talk to me." 

"Yes, my Lord Hux." 

Since Milla had retrieved him before the last aging acceleration, Ben was a mature adult, but younger than the Supreme Leader by perhaps 10 standard years. He did not have Kylo's facial scar, making his face seem softer, more vulnerable. Or maybe it was the gentleness and nervousness in his eyes, the way his shoulders were slightly hunched. His black hair was the same style, long and slightly tousled. 

"What do you wish me to talk about?"

"Tell me about yourself." Armitage began to eat. The food was tasty, well cooked, though not anything he recognized. Milla must be using local foods. And had she interpreted his 'not yet' as meaning she should have food brought later? Her programming definitely needed reviewing. 

"You know everything about me, my Lord Hux. You ordered my creation."

When Armitage had first had what seemed like a foolishly mad idea, to create a clone of Kylo Ren, he had contemplated lying to him, trying to make him think he was a real person with amnesia. But ultimately he decided against that plan, instead telling the cloners that Ben should know who had caused him to be given life, to whom he owed his loyalty, and whose DNA had been copied. "Pretend I don't." 

"Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Ben Solo. My mother was Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, my father was Han Solo from Corellia. I have received info dumps suitable for both an Alderaan prince and a Corellian pirate. I know history, science, mathematics, politics, spaceship piloting and navigation, and even how to steal one." Ben smiled, and Armitage could swear he almost saw a dimple flash out. 

Armitage blinked in surprise. First Milla and now Ben startled him and he wasn't sure he liked it. "The cloners gave you an info dump on how to steal a spaceship?"

"I understand that it was the kind of thing that my original's father would have taught him." 

"Han Solo was a pirate and a reprobate." 

Ben looked down at his hands, rubbing one thumb on the palm of the other. "I had thought that you wished me to know everything that my original did." 

"Your original is dead. You are the original now." Armitage put down his fork, taking one of Ben's hands. "You have calluses. Why do you have calluses?"

"The cloners let me interact with the other clones, my Lord Hux. They said it would be good for my social development. One of the specialty bodyguards has been teaching me sword fighting. I understand that Kylo Ren was a master."

"Yes, he was." Armitage was conscious that despite the calluses on his fingers, Ben's skin was very soft, almost like a baby's. But then, Ben was technically very young. "Specialty bodyguards?"

"The cloners experiment with DNA manipulation as well as duplication with their cloning. The wealthy of the galaxy are primarily interested in pleasure slaves and specialty bodyguards. There were some unusual creations in our little group, but I was the only one there who didn't know his purpose." Ben's head dropped forward, the long strands of black hair obscuring his face. 

"And you want to know your purpose." Armitage's impulsive purchase was turning out fabulously. When Armitage had stolen strands of Kylo's hair, he'd had a vague thought of replacing him, except that he didn't know if Force sensitivity would pass to a clone—and he didn't have any way to train him if it did. A Kylo Ren not Force choking someone every few days would be questioned and discovered as an imposter. 

"Yes, my Lord Hux."

Armitage deliberately took a few bites of his dinner, staring at Ben as he chewed. The resemblance shouldn't be so unnerving. After all, Armitage had ordered the clone, and had known that eventually he would meet him. And yet, having this mild version of the man he'd hated just sitting here, waiting for him to speak—"This food is really quite delicious." 

"Thank you, my Lord Hux." 

Armitage arched his eyebrows at Ben. "You cook? Is that a skill taught to pleasure slaves?" 

"Actually, both pleasure slaves and specialty bodyguards learned cooking. The pleasure slaves for the intimacy and the bodyguards for protection. Some of the wealthy are apparently quite paranoid about their security." Ben's tone as he spoke about the wealthy had a sudden cynical note, at odds with his insecure demeanor. 

So Ben had made the food, rather than Milla taking independent action again. "And you just learned—why?" 

"Info dumps don't take too long." Ben shrugged. "There wasn't much to do while waiting for the next aging acceleration." 

"Cooking, sword fighting, what else did the other clones teach you?" Perhaps he should have gone to the Kaminoans, who seemed to have better procedures for raising their clones, but the lengthy trip to Kamino would have been harder to hide. 

"Fighting in general. I'm quite good at many variations, as well as sword fighting." Ben's cheeks colored as he glanced away before his dark eyes met Armitage's squarely. "I talked to the pleasure slaves. They told me things. I could please you." 

Ben's startling offer hit Armitage harder than Pryde's blaster fire, and his prick hardened. Yes, he could like this version of Kylo very much. "Could you indeed? Do you want to?"

"You are my creator, my owner. I want to be what you want me to be."

"I never ordered info dumps on pleasure." 

"No. I don't know what you want me for. I don't know my purpose." 

Back to purpose. Ben wanted to know his purpose, when Armitage didn't even know what his own was now. A life of idle luxury held little appeal to him. "You were to replace Kylo Ren," he admitted. "You would help me take control of the First Order."

"But now Kylo Ren is dead. You have no need for me." 

"No. You could in fact be a liability. Kylo Ren was both loved and hated all over the galaxy, and very distinctive in his appearance."

Ben licked his lips, making them shiny so they looked even fuller. "Don't destroy me, my Lord Hux. Please." 

Armitage wondered if he even had legal authority to destroy a clone. The Empire and the First Order had never cared much about the rights of created beings, but the New Republic and undoubtedly the rebels' new government valued the rights of all sentients, sometimes even droids. "You want to live?"

"I do. I want to live. I want to serve you." 

Armitage understood very well wanting to live, to survive. He was both sympathetic to and intoxicated by Ben's desperation, the implicit understanding that Armitage held the power of life or death over him. "How do you want to serve me? What can you do for me? I have no need of a sword fighter." Actually, a bodyguard could be quite useful, but Armitage didn't see any reason to make this conversation easier for Ben. 

Ben swallowed hard, his brown eyes anxious. "Let me pleasure you." 

"You haven't had any experience. You haven't even had an info dump. You've only had conversations." Armitage drawled out the last word, aware of the cruelty in his voice. "Or did you do more? Did you play around with the pleasure slaves?" 

"No, never. You are my owner and I await your instructions. I only ever talked to the others. I know I don't have experience, but please let me try. I can learn. I'm a fast learner." 

What Armitage wouldn't have given to have Kylo begging him… even to have Kylo treating him decently, like an equal, not a petty flunky. Kylo had been erratic, tempestuous, and scary, but always attractive. Armitage might have hated him less if he hadn't lusted after him so much, if he hadn't wanted Kylo to value him. Ben's neediness was soothing to Armitage's soul, not that he was going to reveal his satisfaction. "You may try," he said grudgingly.

Ben looked hesitant, as if not knowing where to start before his expression firmed. He stood and offered his hand. "Please."

Accepting Ben's hand, Armitage stood, letting himself be guided to the plush couch. Ben kneeled at Armitage's feet, his hands at the front of his leggings, tugging the material down. The clone was a virgin, his adult male mind and body undoubtedly interested in sex, but Sith only knew what distorted information he'd gotten from the chatterings of pleasure slaves. "You don't kiss your lovers first?" Armitage asked, winding his fingers through Ben's hair. 

Ben paused, then stood again, bringing his face to Armitage's, pressing an open-mouthed kiss on his lips. Armitage used his grip on Ben's hair to tilt his head, taking his lips in a long, hard kiss, his tongue exploring Ben's mouth. Ben responded, slowly at first, then more passionately, clearly determined to be a good pupil. 

"Was that good?" he asked softly when their lips separated.

"Adequate," Armitage said, hoping that the harshness of his breathing wouldn't betray him. He would keep the upper hand with this version of Kylo. 

"I will get better," Ben promised, sinking to his knees, returning his attention to Armitage's groin. Kylo Ren, on his knees for Armitage. Unbidden, Armitage's fingers gripped Ben's shoulders, holding tightly. Would the strength of his hands leave bruises on this less battled hardened body? Ben only looked up at Armitage, waiting. Armitage struggled for control, finally nodding and relaxing his grip, and Ben began to move again. His touch was gentle as he pulled out Armitage's dick, curling his fingers around it. Armitage was already stiff just from Ben's offer and the kiss. Hopefully Ben's lack of experience meant he wouldn't realize how much effect he had on Armitage.

Like the kiss, Ben started slow, his tongue licking at Armitage's dick, tasting the drops already beading on the tip. "It tastes—" he stopped abruptly. 

"Nasty, I know. No one likes the taste. Did your friends tell you to swallow quickly?" 

Ben swirled his tongue around the tip again. "I like it. It's bitter, but—good. Strong. But yes, they said to swallow quickly." 

"Swallow slowly, if you want, or spit, I don't care." Armitage forced himself to take a slow breath after the rush of words. He would not let Ben know how much he wanted him, wanted his touch, wanted his—love. 

No, that was absurd. Armitage had never wanted Kylo's love. Having survived the destruction of the Final Order had unsettled him, that was all, giving him ridiculous thoughts. Kylo would never have loved Armitage. He certainly would never have sucked his cock, or if he had, it would have been a competition between them. He would have tried to control when Armitage came. Would he have forced it to be fast, or drawn it out, keeping Armitage on the edge until the need to come was almost painful? Ben didn't have that antagonistic attitude, wasn't trying to make any demands on Armitage. He was slow and sweet, getting accustomed to the feel of Armitage's dick in his mouth, trying his best to be what Armitage wanted. 

"I need to sit," Armitage said, suiting words to action, sprawling on the couch, legs spread wide. Ben didn't interrupt his sucking, leaning forward, his head buried in Armitage's groin. Armitage twisted one hand through the surprisingly silky strands of Ben's hair. The texture felt good to his fingers. 

Everything about Ben felt good, his mouth so hot and wet, getting bolder, more confident. He alternated between sucking and letting Armitage slip out of his mouth, circling the tip with his tongue, licking down the length.

"My balls. Suck them," Armitage said, curious to see how well Ben obeyed instructions. The answer was very well indeed, Ben mouthing one, sucking softly, then the other. His big hands rested on Armitage's thighs, their warmth almost scorching through the thin material of the black leggings. 

"Do you like this?" he asked, suddenly curious, tugging at Ben's hair. Was Ben enjoying this? Or did he know how to lie to his owner? 

Ben released Armitage's prick from his mouth, but wrapped one hand around it, keeping up a slow stroking motion. "I do," he said, sounding honest. "My—" With his other hand, he cupped himself, his own dick tenting the front of his trousers.

"Your dick is hard. You're turned on. Aroused." 

"Yes," Ben admitted. 

"And you've never done this with anyone else?"

"No. No one. May I continue?" Ben's dark eyes seemed to blaze. "I want to know what it's like, to have your come flooding my mouth." 

In answer, Armitage yanked Ben's head toward his dick. He took control, and it didn't take long, thrusting up into Ben's mouth as the other man sucked, now frantically, making whining noises in the back of his throat. Armitage came in a sudden fierce rush, pouring into Ben's mouth as the other man swallowed and swallowed, not trying to escape Armitage's grip. 

With a sigh, Armitage let himself go boneless. His orgasm had been perfection, just what he needed. He released Ben from his hold, feeling a last throb at the sight of his come spilling out of Ben's mouth and onto his chin. Ben hadn't been able to swallow quickly enough, but he would get better. Sitting back on his heels, Ben wiped the come off his face with his thumb, and then stuck it in his mouth, sucking it clean. 

"Do you still like the taste?"

"Yes, my Lord Hux." 

Armitage rubbed his bare toes on Ben's erection. "You haven't come." 

"I understood that I was always to wait until allowed." 

Bless the conditioning of pleasure slaves. If Armitage could get hard again so quickly, Ben's absolute obedience would have done it. He'd be shooting all over Ben's face. Later, he promised himself. Soon he would see his come painting Ben's cheeks. "You are allowed. I want to watch." 

Ben didn't speak, only pulled his own dick out of his trousers, jacking himself. Armitage had seen Kylo bare-chested many times, sparring with his knights, but never fully naked. He wasn't surprised that Ben's dick was as large as his height and broad shoulders would suggest. 

"You have done this by yourself, I assume."

"Yes, my Lord Hux," Ben breathed. "But it's—"

"Stop," Armitage ordered when Ben didn't finish his sentence. 

Ben gave a pained gasp, but his big hand stilled. Such beautiful obedience. 

"What is it?"

"Better with you watching me," Ben admitted, and there is was again, that trace of a delicate flush on his cheekbones. 

"You will never take care of yourself without my permission."

"Yes, my Lord Hux." 

They sat in silence for a few beats, Armitage content to admire Ben, the sweat on his brow, the shininess of his wet lips, the width of his chest covered in the soft blue sweater, the hugeness of his hand around his own dick. The sight was truly one to appreciate and memorize. "You may continue," he said finally. 

With a relieved moan, Ben did, stroking himself forcefully, quickly spilling over his own hand. His entire body shuddered as he came. 

"Clean yourself." 

Ben obediently licked his own come off his hand, slowly, as if learning his own taste. 

Armitage had dreamed so many times of taking his anger and vengeance out on Kylo. Shoving him to his knees, fucking his face, not sure whether he wanted Kylo to fight him or beg for it. Fucking his arse, of course, his hands bound over his head, his legs on Armitage's shoulders. Taking a whip to his naked back, streaks of red crisscrossing his pale skin as he writhed against his chains, maybe begging Armitage to stop, maybe begging for more. Either way would be delicious. 

Armitage had controlled his thoughts around Kylo, never sure how much the Force user might be able to pick up. But Ben—well, Ben might be a Force user, the Skywalkers were naturally powerful, but no one would train him. If the scavenger had survived, she might be the only person left in the galaxy who knew how to use the Force, but Armitage didn't intend for her to ever realize his Ben lived. 

And his Ben would accept anything Armitage wanted to do to him and thank him for letting him live. 

Suddenly a life of idle luxury, with nothing to do but hang out in his hideout and do everything he'd ever dreamed of doing to Kylo with Ben didn't seem like such a bad future. In fact, a life of idleness and sex might be very good indeed. 

"Did I do well?" 

"Yes," Armitage admitted. "You did quite well. For a beginner," he added, not wanting Ben to get over confident. 

"I will learn fast and keep getting better," Ben promised.

Armitage curled his fingers into Ben's hair again. "I intend to let you practice regularly. And to teach you more."

Ben nuzzled at Armitage's knee. "Everything, my Lord Hux. I will learn everything you wish to teach me. May I—" His hands hovered toward Armitage's leggings. 

Armitage nodded, letting Ben tuck him away and neaten his leggings. 

"You should see this place. Milla said you'd only been here once before." Ben rose smoothly, offering Armitage a hand up. "And the outside is beautiful. The cloners lived in the desert, dry and hot, but there are trees everywhere here, lots of plants and small animals. Even a few large ones, but I've stayed away from those." 

"You want to take a walk?"

"Yes?" Ben half-said, half-asked. 

This Ben—his Ben—wasn't Kylo Ren. This Ben was younger, physically strong but not fully trained, not driven to be all-powerful, and without Kylo's emotional scars, but he'd already had experiences with people that Armitage hadn't planned on, and developed thoughts of his own. He was a person with an established personality, who had cooked dinner for Armitage and now wanted to… show him nice sights. 

It appeared that the first order of business for his new life of idle leisure was getting to know Ben. Though the very first was finding some shoes other than those ridiculous thigh-high boots. 

Armitage reached out and took Ben's hand, letting himself be pulled to his feet. 

~ the end ~


End file.
